Overview & Reviews

Nissan was born in Japan, and like other marques from its homeland, the brand is known for crafting vehicles that place an emphasis on quality and reliability. The company's roster of products is broad, and includes sporty coupes, family sedans, minivans, trucks and SUVs.

The automaker got its start in 1933 as the Jidosha Seico Co., Ltd. The following year, this outfit merged with another Japanese manufacturer, and the new company was christened Nissan Motor Company, Ltd. Nissan initially marketed its vehicles under the Datsun brand, with the first Datsuns being built in 1934. Postwar, the brand made its presence felt worldwide, building a partnership with the U.K.-based Austin Motor Co. and establishing a presence in the United States. The first Datsuns hit American shores in 1958. Vehicles like the Datsun 1000 were based on Austin platforms.

The '60s witnessed Nissan's merger with Prince Motor Company, a union that helped the Asian manufacturer create more luxury-focused vehicles. In the U.S. it began offering its first vehicle styled for the U.S. market, the Datsun 510 sedan. By the end of the decade, Datsun had exported more than 1 million vehicles. Datsun rose to prominence in the 1970s on the popularity of its 240Z sports car. Powered by an inline six-cylinder engine, the car was coveted for its blend of style, performance and affordability. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker's cumulative vehicle exports had surpassed the 10 million mark.

In 1981, Nissan shelved the Datsun name and began selling vehicles worldwide under the Nissan moniker. The '80s also saw Nissan's launch of a tuning division called Nismo for the development of performance-oriented vehicles and accessories. Nissan also brought its production to American shores, with the construction of a Georgia-based plant.

The early '90s saw Nissan's fortunes rise in the U.S. thanks to fun-to-drive cars like the 300ZX, Maxima and Sentra. But this trend didn't last long and by the late '90s Nissan's offerings consisted of anonymous vehicles. The company's future was uncertain.

After the turn of the new century Nissan bounced back, helped by a 1999 alliance with Renault that boosted the company's finances. Its redesigned Sentra and Altima boosted sales and consumer interest, as did new models like the 350Z sports car, Armada SUV and Titan pickup. Today the manufacturer is known for offering a wide range of well-regarded vehicles, including the popular Murano SUV, the incredible GT-R supercar and the all-electric Leaf.

User Reviews:

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  Burning oil after 96K - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Tina Delgado - July 30 - 12:46 pm

  After religious oil changes, my beloved Murano has begun to burn oil, 7qts per 3000 miles. Needs new engine, it seems. Very disappointed in the longevity of this car. Would not buy another.

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  Bad Stereo - 2012 Nissan Sentra
  By smoeller - July 29 - 5:54 pm

  I love my new Nissan Sentra special edition. I bought this over the Altima because of the navigation.. Bad mistake, the stereo sucks and NEVER get reception. I cant depend on the FM to receive any service if I am 10 minutes out of the City. I am now looking at replacing it and it is going to cost me 1500.00 to get a stereo with navigation. Wish I would have bought the Chrysler 200 with streaming video and a great sound system.

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  HORRiBLE - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By MAD - July 29 - 3:30 pm

  Car was purchased June 20,2009.52,000 miles. Good deal? wrong! First week: check engine light came on. They replaced my gas cap, sent me on my way. Light came back on! Charged $190.00 because evap system needed fixed. Light came back on! Replaced my gas cap again! Light stayed off.. I got screwed because they replaced something that wasnt broken. Now its August 24,2009. My cd player is dying.. Cds go in very slow and say error and come back out.. That will soon need replaced. It barely starts. Power steering fluid leaks. Car screammmms everytime I start it.

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  Good SUV - 1998 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Sean S. - July 29 - 5:06 am

  Ive owned this one for almost 6 years and have been quite pleased. Powertrain is rock solid with no issues. I have replaced water pump, timing belt, starter, alternator, brakes, struts and exhaust. All things I consider maintenance and not done until the last couple years. Access to back seats is awkward, several people have hit their heads getting in. The gas mileage stinks which is expected. The engine is somewhat underpowered but wouldnt trade it for the reliability. The ride is decent, a little stiff but its an SUV. Front seats are comfy and the flip down rear seats give you a lot of room to haul.

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  2007 2.5SL altima i love it - 2007 Nissan Altima
  By gcs - July 27 - 10:26 am

  I got a 2.5SL Nissan altima and its great. Leather seats are good and comfy.

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  Somewhat impressed - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By clintons - July 25 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car in September so I havent had it that long but I have put almost 3000 miles on it driving 14-16 hours on long trips every weekend. I am impressed with the way it drives, feels and the design of the whole car. It has a huge trunk. The gas mileage is good when you dont give it a lot of gas and dont have a lot of people or luggage in the car. I get about 36-40 mpg highway at 75 mph. I dont like the rough downshifting and the whine the engine makes. (almost sounds like a turbo.) the CVT takes some getting used to as if you are on the gas, it wont shift

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  Nissan can do better - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By A.H - July 25 - 8:40 am

  I love my Armada and so does my wife, my complaint is the front brake system, the overhead console rattles, the quality of the interior, cheap plastic and leather, NISSAN CAN DO MUCH BETTER for the asking price. Im use to top quality workmanship and materials since I also own a lexus, I realized that this is not a lexus.

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  Great Car - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By JEPOP - July 22 - 8:23 am

  Bought a new Altima 2.5S last month and (so far) I really love this car. Other contenders in my new car hunt were the Accord and the Camry. In the end I went with the Altima because of price and the CVT (transmission). Highway MPG is fantastic (averaging between 32 and 36 MPG). The car is quick, quiet and very responsive. I am a first time Nissan buyer and hope that this car holds up as well as the Honda or the Toyota, time will tell.

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  are ya kidding - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By redhot - July 21 - 11:36 am

  I just bought a new tundra, (let my wife take it over). Took over her frontier for work. Its a tuff little truck that can take a beating and gets great gas mileage. 4 cyl bear basics does the job, been getting 24 mpg driving across New Orleans. Pot holes, railroad tracks, ya name it, handles it all. Be my work horse till she wears out, gets wrecked, flooded or stolen. 29k on it.

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  Love The Engine - Hate The Manufacturer - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By MRB - July 21 - 2:00 am

  25 months and 60K+ miles. Love that Nissan engine. But rattling windows, turbo sensor problem on trans, 2 oxygen sensors, and 7 trips to the dealership to sort all this out have really soured the experience. The selling dealership provided poor service – but I have found another dealer who has been just fantastic. I was hoping to get 200K miles from this vehicle…but I do not foresee that. Thank goodness I got an extended warranty from Nissan. Looking to replace it now. Where is that “great reliability reputation” when you need it. My dealings with Nissan have been very unsatisfactory, especially on an I30 I also own (dealer problem – car’s great).